Chhatarpur (Madhya Pradesh): The civic body issued notices to those who have built houses by encroaching upon the government’s lands in ward number one asking them to vacate the plots.
In protest against the notices, the women residents of the ward staged a sit-in outside the collectorate on Wednesday. They appealed to the administration not to demolish their houses.
The residents alleged that the municipal body had been taking house tax from them. They were also asked to pay a fine for delay in paying taxes; besides, they are regularly getting electricity.
If their houses were illegal, the civic body should have stopped them from constructing those residences and kept away from collecting taxes, the agitators said.
According to reports, the house owners of ward number one in Bilia Pukharia area on Narayanpura road were asked to vacate their houses.
On getting the notices, the residents went to the Tehsil office, but when they did not get any assurance, the women of the ward staged a sit-in outside the collectorate.
The agitators said that when they had built houses the administration did not stop them.
The residents have been living there for 30 years, the women said, adding that they get power supply regularly and pay house tax.
A few families have got government houses, they said, adding that they pay a fine for occupying the government land.
Despite that, they have been asked to vacate the land. The agitators demanded lease for the land where they built houses.
Collector of Chhatarpur, Shailendra Singh, said that the benefit of the housing scheme is given on the basis of Aadhar cards and not on the grounds of land.
The administration has sought applications from those who have objections, and a decision on whether the encroachments are removed or not will be taken after an inquiry, he said.
Corona martyrs not getting promised financial aid
The government’s assurance that those who laid down their lives serving people during the corona pandemic would be given financial aid has come to naught, sources said on Wednesday.
Seven corona warriors died in the district. Out of seven, three have been chosen for financial aid of Rs 50 lakh, but none of the family members of the three persons have been given any assistance, the family members said.
Sources in the district administration said that they had sent the papers to the relief and rehabilitation department in Bhopal.
It is because of the difficult process that only three persons have been chosen for financial aid, sources further said.
The family members of sub-divisional magistrate Santosh Singh Chandel, an official of the health department Ranjodi Ahirwar and Krishna Dutt Pathak posted to the municipal corporation were chosen for financial aid.
According to reports, the documents related to these persons were sent to the relief department in Chhatarpur in April and May.
Those documents were sent to Bhopal for further action. Applications for financial aid were sent for seven persons, but only three were selected, sources further said.
When the matter was put up before sub-divisional magistrate RDS Agriwanshi he said that a demand note and documents were sent to the administration, but it was not known whether the papers stuck up.
